Lubricating-bearing.



0. H. & A. F. PIEPER.

LUBRICATING BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12. 1911.

1,272,518. Patented July 16, 1918.

IIIIIIIIII a 8 5 K 7 WITNESSES: Ag i o ji z iia U w fizzy s UNITEDSTATES Par OFFICE.

been 11. PIEPEB AND ALrnonsE r. rmrna, or nocnnsrna, NEW Yonx,

LUBRICATING-BEARING.

Original application filed May 27, 1912, Serial No. 699,988 Divided andthis application 1917. Serial No. 201,545.

7 '0 all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that we, ()soAn H. PIEPER and ALPnoNsE F. P'mrnn, both ofRochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Lubricating-Bearings; and we dohereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, reference being'had to the acart 1 of companyin drawings,forming a this speci catlon, and to the re erencenumerals markedthereon.

The general object of this invention is to provide adequate andcontinuous lubrication for a vertically arranged shaft, and

specifically the structure is intended for maintaining in a lubricatedstate a motor shaft disposed in a vertical position, as for instance inthe usual driving relation of certain types of dental engines. A furtherpurpose of the improvement is to afford a bearing requiring very littleattention, at the same time insuring constant proper lubrication of therotating element. Still an additional object that is contemplated is toprovide a reasonably economical arrange-- ment which can be manufacturedand sold under conditions that make it entirely commercial. To these andother ends the invention consists in certain improvements andcombinations of parts, an as will be hereinafter more fully described,the novel features being, pointed out in the claims at the end of thespecification. 1

In theulrawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a bearing madein accordance with a preferred arrangement of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bearing sleeve;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view .on the line 33 of Fig. 1, withthe outer support removed;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the bearing; sleeve, and

ig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the sleeve on the line 55 of Fig.2.

Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate the samepart:

This application is a division of an original application filed by usMay 27, 1912,

Serial No. 699,938. There are various pos- I Speciflcationot' LettersPatent.

invention to the details illustrated. In this preferred form of theimprovement,.1 des-.

lgnates a spindle or shaft which is vertically arranged,- and comprisesfor instance the armature shaft of an electric motor.

The shaft 1 turns within a bearing sleeve designated generally by 2 andfixed within the stationary hollow support or frame 3, which may form apart of the motor casing or housing, and is provided with an openin 4through which lubricant-can be supplied to the bearing, as required. Theinvention may be said to consist generally in supplying a lubricant tothe shaft atthe center of the bearing, from which it feeds automaticallyto the ends, and thence returns to the central portion of the bearingsleeve, whereby a circulation is maintained and the shaft automaticallylubricated at every part of the bearing;

' The bearing sleeve 2 is provided with a transverse opening 5, whichcommunicates with the spindle 1, preferabl at the central portion of thebearing, an terminates at its outer edge in an enlarged annular exteriorrecess. 6, which extends fora considerable distance on opposite sides ofthe opening 5. The bearing sleeve 2 is provided near its lower end witha pocket 7.' and 8 designate longitudinal openings leading from theannular recess 6 to the pocket 7. Openings 9 are also provided at theupper end of the sleeve, leading therefrom to the upper end of therecess 6. The bearing sleeve 2 is provided on its interior surface withgrooves 13, preferably of helical formation, and communicating at oneend with the central opening 5 from which they lead to both ends of thebearings.

Patented July 1c, 1918.

filed November 18,

ends 12 projecting freelyinto the pocket 7.

In the practical operation of the bearing, the lubricant which isinitially supplied to the absorbent material 10 reaches the spindle bybeing sucked through, the opening 5 and is carried thence to theopposite ends of the bearing through the grooves 13, whereby the shaftis continuously lubricated at every point between the ends of thebearing sleeve. The lubricant reaching the upper end of the sleeve iscarried by gravity through the strands or wicks 11 back to the centralrecess 6 and the lubricating fluid which reaches the lower end of thebearing sleeve enters the pocket 7 into contact with the free ends 12 ofthe wicks, which serve to conduct the lubricant by capillary at-.

traction upwardly, to the central portion of the bearing, whence it isagain fed to the, shaft through the central opening 5. This actioncontinues in the manner described, and additional lubricant can befurnished to the absorbent body 10 through the opening 4. The absorbentbody 10, When once saturated, will hold a; sufficient. supply oflubricant for a long period,- and. no further attention to the bearingis required."

We claim as our invention; I

' 1. The combinationwith a rotatable shaft,- of a bearing sleevesurrounding it and ha'ving a transverse opening communicating with theshaft and terminating at its outer.

end in an enlarged annular recess formed in the exterior of the sleeve,the sleeve having openings extending longitudinally from its ends tosaidrecess, absorbent material located in said recess and extending throughthe aforementioned transverse opening into contact with the shaft, andabsorbent strands extending through the longitudinal openings intocontact with said absorbent material in the recess.

2. The combination with a rotatable shaft,

' of a bearing sleeve surrounding it havinga transverse openingextending therethrough, a plurality of longitudinal openings, extendingfrom its ends to said transverse opening, absorbent material located inthe transverse opening, and absorbent strands arranged in saidlongitudinal openings.

3. The combination with, rotatable shaft,

of a bearing sleeve surrounding it having a transverse opening extendingtherethrough and communicating with a plurality of helical grooves onthe interior of the sleeve which extend to its ends, the. sleeve alsohaving longitudinal openings extending from its ends to the transverseopening, and

absorbent strands arranged in said longi-- tudinal openings.

4. The combination with a vertically rotatable shaft, of a hollowsupport, a bearing tudinal openings.

rename sleeve fixed in the support and surrounding of a hollow support,a bearing sleeve, fixed in the support and surrounding .said shaft andprovided with grooves adjacent the shaft and leading to the ends of" thesleeve, the sleeve having an annular. exterior recess communicating withthe shaft by a transverse opening and longitudinal openings leading fromsaid recess to the ends of the sleeve, absorhentniaterial located insaid recess, and. strands of absorbent material arranged in thelongitudial openings.

7 6. The combination with a vertically rotatable shaft, ofa hollowsupport, a hearing sleeve ,fixed in the support and surround-- .ing saidshaft and provided with a plurality of helically arranged'groovesadjacent to the shaft and leading to the ends ofthe sleeve, the sleevehaving-an annular exterior recess communicating with the shaft by atransverse opening and an annular interior pocket adjacent tothe' shaftatthe lower end of the sleeve, the sleeve. also having longitudinalopenings leading from the recess to said pocket, absorbent material 10-'cated in said recessand transverse openings,

andabsorbent strands disposed in the longi- 7. The combination'with-arotatable shaft, of a hollow support, a bearing sleeve fixed in thesupport andsurroiinding said shaft and provided with a plurality of;helically arranged grooves adjacent to the shaft and leading to oppositeends of the' sleeve, the sleeve having a central annular exterior-recesscommunicating with the shaft by a transverse opening and longitudinalopen-' ings communicating'with theshaft at the ends of. the 81883 8, andabsorbent material disposed in said central recess and longitudinalopenings.

= OSCAR H. Pierre) ALPHONSE r. PLEPER.

